Valve-operating device for internal-combustion engines



March 31. 1925. 1;53113'82 w. s. FRANKLIN VALVE OPERATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 21, 1921 37 l 12 Z I l Z 20 I g YO 30 2 37 a I 15 \5 32 a l! 9 ii y'/ v A II I /3 w is i as 24 29 awe/atom Patented Mar. 31, 1925 UNITED STATES WILLIAM s. FRANKLIN, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE-OPERATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES,

Application filed January 21, 1921. Serial 110 43835 8.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. FRANK- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Valve- Operating Device for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification. 1

The invention has for an object to pro vide a fuel-feeding device for an internal combustion engine which shall be readily operable or adjustable to effect the feed of the fuel into the cylinder chamber in the desired quantities and. at the proper time in the stroke of the engine.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained which, taken'in connection with the accompanying:-drawing, shows a preferred embodiment thereof. Such embodiment, however, is to be considered merely as illustrative of its principle. In the drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section of certain parts of an internal combustion engine embodying a fuel-feeding device made according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of certain parts appearing in Fig. 1.

The invention as disclosed is applied to an internal combustion engine of the type disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 412,154, filed September 23,1920, and entitled Pump and internal combustion engine therefor, to which application reference is made for a detailed disclosure of the features of the engine. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in utility to an engine of this character.

In general, the engine comprises a heavy cylinder 1, slidable up and down upon a plurality of guides 2 which'will be understood as extending from a suitable base member (not illustrated), The cylinder is urged downwardly by the action of gravity in such manner that a piston 3 working within cylinder chamber 4'compres'ses the gases within such cylinder chamber.

Assuming the cylinder 1 to be in its lowest position, and an explosive gaseous mixture to be contained within chamber 4, such mixture will be subjected to compression between membersj l and 3, and may be ignited either by the heat of compression or otherwise if desired, the particular method of'ignitionnot being essential to the present invention.

The explosion of the gaseous mixture when'the cylinder 1 is at the lowest point in its travel, will raise such cylinder against the action of gravity, the motion thus imparted being utilized to perform usefulwork: -During the upward movement of the cylinder the burnt gases will be exhausted from chamber 4 by suitable means, and a fli'esh charge of air injected into the cylin er. i

Thus as the cylinder falls by gravity the fresh charge of air in the chamber willvbe compressed, checking the downward movement of the cylinder, and if a fresh supply of ,fuelis supplied to the chamber the enginewill be in, position to begin another cycle when cylinder 1 reaches its'lowest position. I In the present embodiment fuel is fed into the chamber from a fuel. supply reservoir .5 in the engine cylinder, a duct 6 being provided leading from said reservoir to a fuel pump chamber 7 located adjacent the chamber 4, a .valve 8 however normally shutting off the fuel pump chamber 7 from the reservoir '5. 1

Valve 8 iscarried by a valve rod 9, being resiliently urged to move the valve to closed position, for instance, by a coil spring 10- bearing against discll on the end of the valve rod, at its lower end, and engaging a collar 12 at its upper end,-whi ch collarmay be moved by an adjusting screw 13'to vary the pressure of the spring; Valve rod 9 -'ssurrounded by asleeve pump 14 provided'with suitable packing 15, and connected to a weight 1-7 within fuel supply reservoir 5. A spring 19 lies beneath the sleeve pump'14 and normally presses up on the latter to a sufiioient extent to hold weight 17 up against a plurality of stops 20' carried by a plate 21 extending across a portion of the fuel supply reservoir 5. When the downward movement of cylinder 1 is checked by compression, however, the inertia of the weight causes the latter tomove downwardly relative to the cylinder and advance sleeve 14 to exert high pressure upon the fuel contained within the fuel chamber 7. This pressure acts uponthe shoulder 22 underneath the valve rod 9, thus raising valve 8 and permitting ,fuel to be injected into the cylinder chamber 4.

In order to permit fuel to be. forced from the fuel pump chamber 7 into cylinder chamber 4, it is necessary that communication between pump chamber 7 and the fuel supply reservoir 5 be shut off at the time when pump 14 is operating, in order that fuel will not be forced back into fuel supply reservoir 5 by the pump, instead of into the cylinder chamber. 7 I

It will be readily seen that a defin te quantity of fuel shouldbe delivered to the engine cylinder during each stroke, so that the operation of shutting off the fuel pump chamber 7 from fuel reservoir 5 should be carefully timed relative to the stroke of the pump 14. a V

Valve 23 co-operating with valve seat 24 and carried by valve rod 25' shuts off communication between the reservoir 5 and pump chamber 7- when in engagement with its seat, but such valve is elevated from Its seat by sprin 26 underneath head 27 of valve rod 25. lVhen the valve. '24 is in raised position as'above described, commu nication is provided between the fuel reservoir and duct 6 through the-passages 28 and 29 associated with the valve 24.

In order that the valve 23lmay be timed properly in regard to the stroke of the pump 14, such valve, according to the present. invention, derives its movement from the same member-as does pump 14; thatis,

from the inertia action of weight 17 As illustrated, an actuating member for the valver23 is carried by the weight 17 in the form of a rod 30 alined with valve 25, so that when the movement of" cylinder 1 is retarded by compression in the cylinder chamber 4, rod 30 will close valve 23 when member 17 moves downward due to inertia action.

In order that the downward movement-of weight 17 and the consequent further operation' of sleeve pump" 14 may continue after valve 23 has come into engagement with. its seat 24, the actuating rod .30 is yieldably supported from the weight 17 by a coil spring 31 surrounding rod 30 and act-ingbetween a washer 32 on the lower end of the rod and a plug 33 closing the upper end'of the recess of member 17 within which the spring and the actuatin .rod are contained.

1 The actuating member 30 for shutting off communication between..,fuel supply reser v-oir 5 and fuel pump chamber 7, being moved by the weight 17 acts to bring about the closing of valve 23 at a certain time after the-inertia action of weight 17 comes into play. The time of closing of the valve may be adjusted to correspond to the speed at which the engine is operating, and

to cause the proper amount of fuel to be fed by pump 14 for the work required from the engine. In the present instance the rod projects upwardly so as to be accessible through-a hole 34 in the plate 21, the upper end of the rod being threaded whereby the adjustment of the nuts 36 orthe turning of the rod by means of a screw drive slot 37, will positionthe lower end of the rod at the proper distance from head 27 of valve rod 25. V o.

Since the valve which shuts off communication between the fuel reservoir'5 and the pump chamber 7 derives its motion from the same source as the pump, the operation of which necessitates the closing of such valve, it is insured that the movements of the two members will'take place as desired,

and furthermore since the position of 'the V1 hile a specific embodiment of the invention has been described, it is obvious that many changes may be made without departlowing claims. I

1. A fuel-feeding device for internal combustion engines, comprising a weight mov ing in general with the .main movable member of the engine, but yieldably'supported therefrom, a' fuel reservoir,-a fuel pump chamber normally in .con'i-munication therewith, means whereby the inertia action of said weight will forcefuel into the cylinder chamber from said pump chamber when the rate of movement of said movable member ing from its principle as defined in the folchanges to a predetermined extent, and

means actuated by. the inertia action of said weight for shutting off communication from said member to said reservoir when said fuel forcing means is'in operation. y 2; A fuel-feeding device for internal com bustionengines, comprising a weight'mov ing in general withrthe main movable member of the engine, but yieldably supported therefrom, a fuel'reservoir, a fuel pump chamber provided with a duct leading to said fuel reservoir, a normally open valve in said duct, means whereby the inertia action of said weight will force fuel intothe cylinder chamber from said pump chamber when, the rate of movement of said movable member changes toa predeterminedextent,

and a memberderiving its motion from said weight for engagingsaid valve to shut off conmiunicat-ion.between said reservoir and.

said chamber when said fuel forcing means is 1n operation; I Y

, 3. A fuel-feeding device for internalcom-r bustion engines, comprising a weight moving in general with the main movable'member of the engine, but yieldably supported therefrom, a fuel reservoir, a fuel pump chamber, a valve adapted to shut E com munication between said reservoir and said chamber, whereby the inertia action of said weight will force fuel into the cylinder chamber from said pump chamber when the rate of movement of said movable member changes to a predetermined extent, and amember carried by said weight adapted to engage said valve to close the same when said weight moves to operate said fuelforcing means, said member being yieldably mounted on said weight.

4. A fuel-feeding device for internal combustion engines, comprising a weight moving in general with the main movable member of the engine, but yieldably supported therefrom, a fuel reservoir, a fuel pump chamber, a valve adapted to shut off communication between said reservoir and said chamber, means whereby the inertia action of said weight will force fuel into the cylinder chamber from said pump chamber when the rate of movement of said movable member changes to a predetermined extent, a member carried by said weight adapted to engage said valve to close the same when said weight moves to operate said fuel-forcing means, and means for adjusting the position of said member with regard to the weight.

5. A fuel-feeding device for internal comchamber from said pump chamber when the a rate of movement of said movable member changes to a predetermined extent, a member carried by said weight adapted to engage said valve to closethe same when said weight moves to operate said fuel-forcing means, said member comprising a springpressed rod mounted within said weight, and means for adjusting the forward end of said rodtoward or from said valve.

6. A fuel-feeding device for internal combustion engines, comprising a fuel reservoir, a fuel pump chamber normally in communication therewith, inertia operated means for forcing fuel from said pump chamber into the engine cylinder, and means mechanically connected to said fuel forcing means for shutting of communication between said fuel reservoir and said fuel pump chamber when said inertia operated fuel-forcing means is in operation.

In testimony that I claim theforegoing, I have'hereunto set my hand this 17 day of Jan, 1921.

WILLIAM S. FRANKLIN. 

